


Barquiel's Anguissette

by jesatria



Category: Kushiel's Legacy - Jacqueline Carey
Genre: Alternate Universe, Multi
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2011-11-03
Updated: 2011-11-22
Packaged: 2017-10-25 16:23:54
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,313
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/272332
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/jesatria/pseuds/jesatria
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>What if Phedre had been Barquiel's protege instead of Delaunay's? AU, WIP</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

          I entered Jasmine House at the young age of four. It had been my mother’s house during her Service to Naamah, and it was to Jasmine House she turned when she determined to sell me into indenture. Yet even after three years in the house, I still fell a stranger. It was obviously apparent that I was not to follow in my mother’s footsteps. I knew, even at that young age, that I was flawed. My skin was ivory, too light for the canon of Jasmine House. That alone might’ve been of little consequence if it weren’t for the scarlet mote in my left eye. It marred the brown iris with a single spot of red, but that was enough to render me unfit for Naamah’s Service. In those years, I envied the other fosterlings their surety of place and wondered what would become of me.

          Everything changed the night I met his grace.

          I was walking down the hall, heading toward the fosterlings’ quarters, when I heard a pair of voices.

          “I believe we shall retire to my country estate tonight, Odette,” said a man whose voice I did not recognize.

          “As you wish, your grace.” The second voice belonged to Odette, one of the most successful adepts of the house.

          The voices distracted me and I bumped into the man who’d spoken. Humiliated, I bowed low. “Please pardon me, your grace. I did not see you.” I shivered in fear- if the Dowayne learned I’d gracelessly collided with a patron of Jasmine House, she would be most displeased.

          I cowered before him, expecting a stern reprimanding. To my surprise, the man laughed lightly. “I can see that. It is no matter.” He extended a slender, graceful hand. “I trust you’ve sustained no serious injuries?”

          “No, your grace.” I took the offered hand, hesitantly raising my eyes to look at him.

          He was the most beautiful man I’d ever seen. I was raised in the Night Court and am no stranger to beauty. He was tall, slender and long-limbed. There was a certain grace to his movements that put me in the mind of a great cat. His clothing was not ornate, but there was no doubt in my mind that he was a highly-ranked man. As my eyes migrated upward, I saw that he wore his white-blond hair cropped short. It was quite unusual- I’d never seen a D’Angeline with hair so short. But that was utterly insignificant compared to his eyes. They were a deep shade of violet, deeper than amethyst, the shade of the robes worn by the ancient imperators of Tiberium. Even then, I knew what those lovely eyes signified. I’d just run into the sovereign Duc of Namarre, the Princess Consort’s brother, Duc Barquiel L’Envers.

          I lowered my eyes once more, but not quickly enough. Our eyes met for a moment; I saw his widen in shock. “You will have to excuse me, Odette. I must speak with Jehan immediately.”

          Odette looked at me in confusion before turning back to him. “Of course, your grace.”

          I thought they would leave then, but the Duc knelt so we were at the same level. “Do not be afraid, child. I do not mean to report this incident to the Dowayne. What is your name?”

          “Phèdre, if it please your grace.”

          “How old are you, Phèdre?” He had a pleasant voice.

          “Seven, your grace.”

          “Ah. You are the same age as my niece the Dauphine. My daughter is close in age to you as well; she is nine. Come with me, Phèdre.”

          Still feeling terribly nervous, I followed the Duc L’Envers to the Dowayne’s office. He escorted me inside, where Dowayne Jehan lounged on her sofa. As soon as she saw the Duc, she rose and offered a deep curtsy. “Has somewhat gone amiss, your grace? Are you dissatisfied?”

          “Nothing of the sort. I simply came across this child as I was about to leave.”

          The Dowayne fixed me with a stern expression and I thought for sure I was to reprimanded. I began to tremble with fear.

          “My humblest apologies, your grace. Is there anything we might do to atone for such a disruption?”

          The Duc smiled and cut her off. “There is. Do you have any idea what this child is? Look at her eyes, Jehan. She bears Kushiel’s Dart.”

          Her eyes widened. “You are saying Phèdre is an _anguissette_?”

          “Yes. Has Jasmine House lost the ability to recognize one? They’d have known in Valerian and Mandrake, you may be sure of that. Look at her. She trembles even now, in mingled fear and desire.”

          The Dowayne seemed annoyed by his words, but she dared not anger such a powerful patron. “You are certain of this, your grace?”

          “I am. ‘Mighty Kushiel of rod and weal/Late of the brazen portals/With blood-tipp’d dart, a wound unhealed/Pricks the eyes of chosen mortals.’ All of Kushiel’s line knows this.”

          “Well you would certainly know more of that than I.”

          “Indeed. We have not forgotten these things in House L’Envers. That is enough discussion of the matter. I shall move directly to my purpose. You have a true _anguissette_ on your hands, Jehan, and I would like to buy her marque.”

          The Dowayne let out a small gasp of shock; she’d clearly not been expecting this. Once she recovered from the initial shock, it was clear she would not pass up such an opportunity. I was no use to Jasmine House. The discussion went on for several minutes. The Duc might’ve been a powerful and important patron, but the Dowayne was not about the part with me before she secured a decent price. At last it was settled and he turned to face me once again. The fear I’d felt before changed into somewhat else. I was inexplicably drawn to him for reasons I did not then understand. His violet eyes held me in their gaze and I could not have moved even if I wanted to.

          “Phèdre, you will come to live with me when you are ten. I intend for you to be my pupil. That mote in your eye is no flaw; rather it signifies that you are one marked by Kushiel’s hand. There will be time enough to speak of that later. For now you will remain in Jasmine House. You must do all that your instructors ask of you. Do you understand?”

          “Yes, your grace.”

          “You will see me again before then. I’ve been a loyal patron of Jasmine House since my sixteenth birthday. Jehan can attest to that.” I glanced over at her and saw a grin form on her lips. There was somewhat between them, somewhat that dated back to that sixteenth birthday no doubt. “I’m afraid I must take my leave now so that I might see to what I came here for.”

          I rose and gave him a deep curtsy; he bowed in return before taking his leave.

          That night, I could scarcely sleep for excitement. I was no longer the cast-off, flawed and unwanted; instead I was to join the household of the Duc L’Envers. In one chance encounter my life had been utterly transformed. I found myself thinking of him bedding Odette tonight and resolved to ask her about him on the morrow.

 

**

 

          I eagerly awaited Odette’s return. When a carriage bearing the L’Envers arms came to Jasmine House, I nearly cried out with joy. I immediately approached her to inquire of her night with the Duc.

          “What is he like? Is he a skilled lover? Did he treat you well?”

          She smiled and produced a jingling purse. “I’ve just made my marque.”

          I stared at the purse in her hand with somewhat like longing. “He is generous, then.”

          “He has always given me patron gifts. To answer your other question, yes, he is a good lover. He is Naamah’s scion.”

          “Naamah’s scion,” I repeated. A sense of awe filled me at the thought that my marque had been purchased by a scion of Naamah. I’d been taught to revere Naamah all my life. There were many stories in the Night Court of the great prowess of her scions. According to Odette, these stories were true.

          “He is one of my favorite patrons,” she added with a degree of longing.

          This interview would be the first of many. The Duc had three other favorites in Jasmine House- two women and one man. I spoke with each of them. They all repeated that he was an incredibly skilled lover. That sent a certain thrill through me which I did not entirely understand then. Jasmine House was indeed his favorite though he occasionally patronized other houses, most notably Valerian House. Shivers went through me at that thought. More disappointing was the information that his wife, Duchese Apolline L’Envers, was one of the most beautiful women in Terre d’Ange. I learned also that the Duc was very close to his family, including his niece the Dauphine. Would he feel the same way about me once I went to live with him?

          My tenth birthday could not come soon enough.

 

 **Notes**

I’ve had the idea for this AU floating around in my head for a while. My friend hamsterwoman on livejournal encouraged me to write it, so this fic is for her. I hope it meets expectations!

 

This will be snippets & not a continuous narrative like my other longfics are. It won’t be as long as those, that’s for sure!

 

This the the 1st time I’ve written Phedre’s POV, so I hope it came out ok. I will be switching POVs in the fic rather than sticking to 1 character.

 

Thank you for reading! I hope you enjoy it!


	2. Chapter 2

Many months passed before I saw the Duc L’Envers again. It was disappointing, but entirely understandable given the death of his sister, the Princess Consort. All indications were that he loved his sister dearly and I felt for him in his grief. We learned that he intended to return to his estates in Namarre for several months, the Dauphine in tow. My heart ached for her as well. She was of an age with me, and alone now but for her grandfather and uncle. I would’ve liked to befriend her if I could, and wondered if I would meet her when I entered the Duc’s household.

In the meantime, his grace left instructions regarding how I was to be educated before going to him. I began instruction in Caerdicci and Hellene. Soon I was able to read the works of the great Tiberian poets. The languages came easily to me. I never complained of the lessons, for all nobles learned both languages. The Duc also required that I be taught to dance. In addition to that, the Dowayne took it upon herself to add lap harp lessons to my curriculum. I became proficient at dancing, but my skills with the harp were only passable. Most curiously, the Duc also required that I be kept completely ignorant of politics. I was to be educated in the rudiments of religion, however. The one exception to this was that he did not want me introduced to the rites of Kushiel yet.

When his grace came to Jasmine House, he did not always speak to me. I knew that he did not come to the house for that purpose, but I felt the sting of disappointment regardless. After each visit I probed the adept he’d chosen for any further details on the man who was to buy my marque. Eventually they grew tired of this and sent me away with sharp words.

At last, my tenth birthday arrived.

It was not yet midday when the Dowayne came to fetch me. I’d had the foresight to don my best gown and only a few adjustments were made before I was deemed presentable. I followed the Dowayne into her office, where the Duc was waiting. I immediately curtsied low. When I rose, he inclined his head with a smile. "Hello, Phèdre. I believe I must offer my fond wishes to you upon your birthday.”

“Thank you, your grace,” I replied with another curtsy.

“I’m here to take you to live with me,” he stated, wasting no time cutting to the point. “I intend to adopt you into my household. Henceforth you will be known as Phèdre nó L’Envers.”

I could not help but smile broadly. For once in my life I would have a place where I might belong and a family of my own.

“Go and gather your belongings, Phèdre. We will leave as soon as I have worked out the final details with Jehan.”

I all but ran from the room in my eagerness to make ready for my departure. In my haste I did not bother to pack my things neatly. There were not many of them. As soon as this was done I rushed back to the Dowayne’s office. The business of the day was evidently concluded. The Duc sat at ease. “You are ready to depart?”

“Yes, your grace.”

“Very good. We shall leave now. My business with Dowayne Jehan is concluded.” He rose from the sofa and bid farewell to the Dowayne. Much to my surprise, she gave me a brief embrace.

“Take care, Phèdre. You will do well with Duc Barquiel, I think.”

Before I could ponder that surprising statement, I was led out of the office. A splendid carriage waiting for us outside. It was the finest such vehicle I’d ever seen, purple decorated with gold. L’Envers colors. The L’Envers arms was inlaid in gold leaf on the doors. A dozen men-at-arms in purple and gold livery stood beside it. The Duc stepped into the carriage and extended a hand to me. I took it and sat across from him on the purple- cushioned seats. In a moment we were off, his men-at-arms riding beside the carriage. I peered out the window, watching as first Jasmine House and then all of Mont Nuit grew smaller behind us.

“We are going to my country estate. I have quarters in the palace, but I do not think that would be the best place for you now. The estate is an hour’s ride away,” he explained.

“What about your estate in Namarre?” I blurted out, forgetting myself.

He was unbothered by my outburst. “We shall move there in due time, but not yet. Have you lived the entirety of your life in the City, Phèdre?”

“No, your grace. My earliest years were spent in a merchant caravan in Caerdicca Unitas. That was my parents’ caravan, before my mother sold me to Jasmine House.”

A thoughtful expression crossed his face. “That is good. I’m glad you’ve seen some of the world outside Terre d’Ange. We are too insular a people. That reminds me- can you ride at all?”

I shook my head.

“I shall have to add riding lessons to the list,” the Duc murmured, more to himself than to me. As we rode on, I gazed out the windows to watch the countryside go by. The whole trip was rather thrilling. I felt very important, sitting in such a fine carriage with the Duc L’Envers.

“When we reach the estate, you will meet my wife and daughter. Valère is quite near to you in age and you will share some lessons with her,” he informed me. “I’ll have you know right now that you will work hard as my pupil.”

That did nothing to dampen my excitement. “I am eager to learn, your grace.”

He smiled at me. “That is very good, Phèdre. I’m pleased to see you are enthusiastic.”

The ride was quite pleasant and I was almost sorry when the Duc’s country estate came into view. We passed perfectly-pruned trees and crossed a bridge resembling that on the L’Envers arms before passing beneath the raised gates. It was a very charming estate, looking much like a castle from an old tale. The carriage pulled right up to the main entrance. The Duc stepped down first, then extended a hand to me once again. “I would’ve preferred to ride,” he remarked, “but I thought the carriage would be more comfortable for you.”

I stared at him for a moment, not quite believing a man such as he was taking such concern for me. There was no time to dwell on this, however, for he led me into the antechamber. We did not stay there long enough for me to get a good look at the room. He led me up several flights of stairs until we came to a set of beautifully-carved doors. He opened them and led me inside. The first thing I noticed was that it was a music room. The second thing was the beautiful woman reclining on a sofa by the harpsichord.

She was clad in a pale pink gown with sleeves edged in lace. It was cut off the shoulder, revealing an expanse of bosom and rosy skin. Her hair, piled atop her head with two strands hanging free to frame her face, was the color of ripe apricots. Her face was a perfect oval, with naturally red lips and sapphire blue eyes. Delicate jewels glinted at her neck. She was quite possibly the loveliest woman I’d ever seen, a quintessentially D’Angeline beauty.

The Duc led me forward to stand before her. “Phèdre, allow me to introduce you to my wife, Duchese Apolline L’Envers.”

She was every bit as beautiful as I’d heard she was. I gave her a very deep curtsy. When I rose, she inclined her head and smiled gently. “Welcome, Phèdre. It is a pleasure to meet you and welcome you to our family.” Her voice had a certain musical quality. She turned in her seat to face a girl I just now noticed at the harpsichord. I’d been too preoccupied with the Duchese to notice her. “Valère, please come here.”

The girl tucked sheets of music away and rose from the harpsichord. When she came close enough for me to see her well, it was clear that she resembled the Duc greatly. Her honey-gold hair was braided with pale blue ribbons and wrapped around her head. The ribbons matched her dress, bringing out the blue in her violet eyes.

“This is Phèdre, Valère. She will be living with us from now on,” said the Duc.

Valère narrowed her eyes slightly, studying me. She was significantly taller than I was and very slender. I curtsied. “Welcome to our home, Phèdre. I am very pleased to meet you,” she said politely.

The Duc appeared quite pleased by this. “You must treat Phèdre well, Valère. You will see each other frequently and will have some lessons together.”

“Of course, Father,” she replied. Polite as she was, I was not entirely sure she was happy to have me there. I’d entertained hopes she might become a friend and it seemed the Duc had as well. Mayhap she would come to like me over time.

With the introductions over, I was conveyed to my bedchamber. My scant belongings had already been brought up and servants were currently putting them away. It was a pleasant, well-appointed room, far larger than even the adepts’ bedchambers at Jasmine House. A four-poster bed dominated one side. Opposite it, large windows opened onto an extensive garden. “This will be your bedchamber when we are in residence here,” his grace explained. He sat on the sofa and urged me to sit beside him. “Your lessons will begin tomorrow. Do enjoy your free time today, for the lessons will be quite demanding. Dowayne Jehan assures me that you are a bright, intelligent child, so I’ve no doubt you will take to them easily.”

“What kind of lessons will they be?”

“You will learn tomorrow,” he said, a smile playing at the corners of his lips.


End file.
